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2000 R1100RT; Input splines AGAIN!! Done with this bike

On some of our Cat hoes we could cook the pump drive splines every few thousand hours. Alignment and material defect turned out to be the real causes but the big guys in the office wanted to blame the operators. When I was a Cat tech-rep, I saw the same thing on a wide variety of machines including drive axles and every once in a blue moon, the drive coupling on their compact machines. It was always alignment and material defect.

Practically, my R1100RT has serrations, clutch ID and tranny OD, defined by the lack of radius on the outer diameter. Just a distinction that doesn't matter unless someone thinks they know better. Good lube is important and not to add a whole pile of controversy because so many are so smart, I use wheel bearing grease. Works for me, all the way back to my old bikes.

BMW, like Caterpillar and all the others don't make machines to inherently fail but, I've seen stuff come off the factory floor "close enough" and I have even seen dealership technicians/mechanics at PDI say, "really, we are going to give this to a customer?"
Think of a spline as a 1:1 gearset with one gear running inside of the other. The internal and external teeth of a spline are involute, just like regular external gears (i. e. curved profile). But splines are designed assume that all teeth will equally assume the load (actually contribute to the torque). The problem comes if the load varies every revolution as when the "gears" are not aligned precisely and rotating on the same centerline. This causes fretting when the lube eventuallyis rubbed out and things weld themselves metal to metal. This causes the characteristic red (ferric) or grey (ferrous) debris in failed clutch spline housings.

The best lube is some sort of antiseize. Moly greases do well here but it also has to be very sticky and have a lot of extreme pressure material in it.

Note that if the shaft supports are stiff (and they are here!), misalignment will cause the clutch disk to be drug around the flywheel face and pressure plate, placing a massive radial load on the spline that rotates with the spline axes. This is what causes the fretting wear - whenever the engine rotates with the clutch out.
 
Sorry to hear about the spline problems you have had. I understand you are angry and discouraged but you can learn a great deal from this experience which will carry you into any other machine you choose to purchase in the future. I lubed my splines 2-3 years ago and put together a pretty descent procedural. Whay not take a look at it and reference all the other works members have compiled here and take a shot at it. You'll save a bunch of money and walk away feeling so much more in control of the workings of your bike and even car. Check this out:

http://forums.bmwmoa.org/showthread.php?58748-Pictorial-2002-1150RT-Spline-lube

Its not that bad, just note everything and keep stuff organized, you'll be surprised what you can do with a little motivation, this should be it. -Greg O
 
A problem for 1150s as well

The problem occurs on the 1150, as well. My 02 R1150r stripped the splines at 46,000 miles, was rebuilt, and is now back in the shop with the same problem at 82,000. Lubing isn't a problem, I've had the dealership maintain the bike since it was new. I'm a fairly sedate rider, so the transmission isn't getting abused with wheelies or drag strip behavior, either. I wish the factory would admit the problem and offer a solution, other than having customers drop $2k on the bike every few years, and risk being left on the side of the road somewhere.
 
Failure Rates?

What is the spline failure rate and on what models/years? How does the failure rate improve by performing the spline lube? Is performing the lube job more of an insurance thing or a necessity? How many out there never did a spline lube and never had an issue?
 
What is the spline failure rate and on what models/years?
More and more I am suspecting an initial factory assembly error in which the transmission ends up pulling radially on the engine crankshaft bearings with a high force, causing the engine crankshaft bearings to wear. After the engine bearings wear, the spline has to carry piston forces into the comparatively rigid transmission bearings because the engine bearings are now so sloppy.
How does the failure rate improve by performing the spline lube?
If the spline is properly aligned on initial assembly, there seems to be little need for future re-lubrication. If there is an alignment error, spline wear shows up about every 20,000 miles (my guess). If there is only a little alignment error, the failure rate is reduced. If the error is small (like under .003 inch run out) the splines seem to last almost indefinitely - as also the rear crankshaft bearing. A common tear down recommendation seems to be every 20,000 miles but that seems pretty conservative if the alignment is good. And just maybe the alignment can be screwed up on reassembly.
Is performing the lube job more of an insurance thing or a necessity?
Somewhere in between.
How many out there never did a spline lube and never had an issue?
I did a tear down at 24,000 miles on my 2000 R1100RT and found the spline system to be pristine
The spline system is easily inspected through the starter port in the clutch housing/adapter. The presence of wear particles that tend to be rust red or grey is an indication that the spline is distressed and needs lubing.

I also suggest that to complete any spline alignment check and lube job that the clearance in the rear crankshaft bearing be checked if there has ever been a spline failure. This doesn't require the engine to be disassembled, and only that a dial indicator be set up to measure flywheel radial motion in all directions. If there is wear, of course it will be in the direction of the misalignment. Otherwise main bearing wear in these engines should be essentially non-existent.

Look at olesen's spline lube pictures. Notice the complete lack of wear.
 
The problem occurs on the 1150, as well. My 02 R1150r stripped the splines at 46,000 miles, was rebuilt, and is now back in the shop with the same problem at 82,000. Lubing isn't a problem, I've had the dealership maintain the bike since it was new. I'm a fairly sedate rider, so the transmission isn't getting abused with wheelies or drag strip behavior, either. I wish the factory would admit the problem and offer a solution, other than having customers drop $2k on the bike every few years, and risk being left on the side of the road somewhere.

maybe, maybe not.
a spline lube is not part of any BMW scheduled maintenance procedure, so unless you specifically directed them to do a spline lube, it was not done.

splines stirpping out after ~40K miles is indicative of an alignment issue, not a lube issue. Lube related stripping is more common to show up in the 75+K mile range.
 
Input spline failure

maybe, maybe not.
a spline lube is not part of any BMW scheduled maintenance procedure, so unless you specifically directed them to do a spline lube, it was not done.

splines stirpping out after ~40K miles is indicative of an alignment issue, not a lube issue. Lube related stripping is more common to show up in the 75+K mile range.

Those of us who have been riding BMW's for a long time will all remember that up until about the year 2000 lubing the spline every 40,000 miles WAS part of normal maintenance. I bought a 2000 K1200 LT and at 40,000 miles took it in to have the splines lubed and was told that it was no longer necessary. They then told me that they thought BMW was crazy. Went ahead and lubed my splines. Thank God for a good dealer with a good wrench.

My '99 R1100 w/sidecar had it's splines lubed when I bought it with 42,000 miles on it. They had not been done. I can assure you they will be done at 80,000. Spendy job but well worth it.
 
In regards to anyone not ever lubing splines - that's me. I bought R60/6 brand-new and have never touched them. Probably 130,000 on the bike. I do put anti-sieze on the wheel splines whenever I do a tire change...
 
Those of us who have been riding BMW's for a long time will all remember that up until about the year 2000 lubing the spline every 40,000 miles WAS part of normal maintenance. I bought a 2000 K1200 LT and at 40,000 miles took it in to have the splines lubed and was told that it was no longer necessary. They then told me that they thought BMW was crazy. Went ahead and lubed my splines. Thank God for a good dealer with a good wrench.

My '99 R1100 w/sidecar had it's splines lubed when I bought it with 42,000 miles on it. They had not been done. I can assure you they will be done at 80,000. Spendy job but well worth it.

oh, I fully agree that it may have been part of the maintenance schedule we all performed or requested, but go ahead and find it for me in a BMW maintenance schedule- I doubt it exists anywhere in print (which was my point).

I've been looking for it since the 70's, and have yet to find it.
 
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